


A Different World

by LovelySheree



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Coin, Complete, F/M, Family, Rayllum, Reunion, Viren - Freeform, decoin, decoined
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23504440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelySheree/pseuds/LovelySheree
Summary: Tiadrin and Lain have been trapped in Viren's magical coins for over a decade. They awake from their trap and discover their daughter and a human mage had been the ones to free them. With so many years having passed, they find themselves in a completely different world from the one they had so recently left.Just a classic "Rayla's parents are decoined" story. Not planning on adding too many twists or turns or anything... just want some family reunion stuff and the last chapter includes an epilogue. (Complete!)
Relationships: Callum & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Lain & Rayla & Tiadrin (The Dragon Prince), Lain/Tiadrin (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 57
Kudos: 333





	1. Part 1

**\- PART 1 -**

There was nothing. Absence. Her mind, once expanded by life, felt forcefully compressed into a haunting silence. It pulled and pushed and consumed her entirely. Why did it feel so hard to breathe? Why did her chest feel so heavy? Why did the air seem thicker?

She didn’t know how long she was trapped, but it was long enough to think, long enough to wonder. Was the Dragon Prince alive? Did they fail their mission? Has Xadia fallen under human rule? So many questions were stirring her mind into restlessness. One question, however, seemed to plague her mind the most. Is my daughter safe?

And while her mind had time to wander from one dreadful thought to the next, that question was ever constant. It weighed heavy on her heart. Where was Rayla?

Then the absence was broken. It stretched, tearing apart until her lungs were gasping and gulping in the air around her. Her whole entire being, feeling tightly constricted by some strange force moments before, felt suddenly free. Her mouth was moving on its own, abusing its reacquired privilege to turn her thoughts into words.

Or… it tried to. “Wh-wheh…er,” she gasped, coughing and clumsily spluttering out the word. Her mind felt like jelly, like a goo that couldn’t take shape, and words were suddenly very difficult. Easy to think. Not easy to use.

“You’re safe,” a low voice tells her. Or she thinks that is what it tells her because the words felt comforting and familiar. She knew she was hearing something, and she knew it was speaking, but it felt as if she hadn’t used her ears for decades. She knew she heard words, but they weren’t translating into meaning.

“Wh-here,” she repeated hoarsely. Where is Rayla? Lain? My family…

A different voice spoke this time, softer and higher toned. “Safe” and “Xadia” were the only words she could make out.

It was then that she realized she had her eyes tightly shut. The darkness had felt so natural that she hadn’t noticed before. She willed them to open and was greeted by bright shapes piercing her vision, causing tears to prick at the corners of her eyes.

She blearily made out a pale face with purple markings stretching down smooth cheeks. White hair and bright eyes. Moonshadow. Elf.

Perhaps it was because the thought of her had yet to leave her mind, but whatever the reason, without her consent, a name fell from her lips.

“Rayla,”

Then everything was gone again.

“Rayla,” her mother gasped before collapsing on the ground.

Beside her, Rayla heard Callum curse under his breath. “She’s weak,” he said quickly, digging through his bag. “Weaker than the others I’ve de-coined so far.”

She looked at him and nodded numbly, her mother’s voice echoing in her head. Rayla… Rayla… Rayla…

“Give her this,” Callum said, giving her a jar of some foul-smelling mush. “Gross, I know, but it will help her gain her strength back. The odor also helps keep them awake,” he explains. “Don’t give her too much, though, or she’ll end up with a sour stomach—”

“—She said my name,” she spoke quietly, barely holding on to the jar Callum had given her.

Callum stopped talking and turned to look at her. He didn’t say anything at first, fully expecting her to say more. When she didn’t, he crouched down and gently reached for her hand. “Rayla, are you okay? This is probably a lot to take in…”

And he was right. It was a lot to take in, so maybe that’s why she was so focused on the absurdity that her mother had said her name. But she couldn’t help herself from wondering, how had she known it was her? The last time she saw her mother, she was barely five.

In one hand, she clutched his, in her other hand, she loosely held her mother’s. Her mother’s hand. It was smaller than she remembered it being as a kid. Or maybe her own had just gotten bigger.

“It’s been nearly fifteen years, how did she recognize me?” she asked, looking up at Callum with what she assumed was a hard-to-read expression, given that he had to peer into her eyes for a moment before responding.

“I’m sure she could never forget her daughter’s face. Even after such a long time,” he said, leaning towards her and kissing her forehead. “But…” he continued, “maybe she didn’t recognize you.”

She furrowed her brow at him. “Callum, she said my name. You were here, you heard her,” she retorted, gingerly pulling from his grasp and moving her collapsed mother onto the mat they had prepared earlier.

“Well, yes, that’s true,” he said, helping Rayla move her mother onto the mat. “But, I don’t know… I mean, if I was trapped in a coin for over a decade, I’d have a lot of time to think about things. And about the people I care about,” he said. She lifted her gaze from her mother’s weary frame and up to Callum’s sturdy one. “Maybe she didn’t recognize you. Maybe you were just the first thing on her mind.” His smile turned into a grin as he shuffled towards her and kissed her cheek. “Because you are, at least in my own experience, pretty hard to forget.”

She felt her face blush, despite the fact that she should be used to him saying things like that by now. She should be used to him and his words, to him and his comforting ways. But even after so long, she still couldn’t stop herself from feeling flushed.

“Wha’ever,” she rolled her eyes. “If I’m so hard to forget, why’re you always starin’ at me when you draw me, hm? Seems like you still need a reference,” she bantered playfully. She could feel her smile stretch from ear to ear.

A low laugh tumbled past his lips as he reached to grab the jar and its mysterious components from her hands. “You and I both know I don’t need a reference to draw you,” he said, his cheeks flushing as he did so. It was true, and she knew it too. He knew her better than anyone else, having memorized her figure years ago.

“Now,” he said, changing the topic, “let’s get some of this into your mother’s system. The sooner it settles, the sooner she can be awake long enough to talk,” he said, tightening his grip on the jar and popping the cork off.

If Rayla had thought it smelt bad before he opened it, she was sorely mistaken. “Callum!” she exclaimed, pinching her nose, “There’s no way tha’ can be digested by a livin’ being.”

“I know, I know, but it really works! And it doesn’t take a lot,” he defended his concoction, trying his best not to breathe in the fumes.

“I should hope not!” Rayla scoffed, taking the small spoonful of it that Callum handed her and preparing herself to give it to her mother.

She knew she would have a lot to explain to her parents once they had been “de-coined,” as they have come to call it. She had even begun to make a list of things to say. One, the war was over. Two, humans and Elves (attempt to) live peacefully amongst each other. Three, she married a human.

She didn’t think she’d need to add accidentally poisoning her mother to that list.

Tentatively, she opened her mother’s mouth, slipping the spoon past her lips and doing her best to have her swallow the contents. A silence stretched between herself and Callum as she handed back the jar and spoon.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Callum observed.

“Let’s get my father out of the coin. If my mother’s in this poor of shape, I’m sure we’re going to have to feed that to him as well,” she said, gesturing to the jar.

He reached to touch her shoulder, “Rayla, are you sure you’re alright—?”

“Callum,” she closed her eyes, her chest feeling tight with something she couldn’t quite process yet. Anger? Sadness? Confusion? Probably all three, honestly. “Of course I’m not alright,” she said, opening her eyes and giving him a steadied stare. “My parents have been trapped in a dark mage’s magical coins for well over a decade and I haven’t seen them since I was a lil’ kid. Not to mention the better half of my childhood, I thought they had betrayed my kind and failed their duty because I didn’t know they were taken by an evil dark mage, I mean—” She sighed, “No… I’m not alright. But that’s okay.” She scoffed, “In fact, I think it’d be a lil’ weird if I were perfectly alright with this situation.”

Callum pursed his lips together tightly. The hand that had been reaching out to touch her froze mid-way and slowly retreated back to his side. “Yeah, okay. That’s… that’s a fair response,” he said, laughing lightly. “In that case, I’m glad you’re not alright?” he said questioningly, searching through a small pouch where he pulled out a second coin. Her father.

“Thank you,” she said curtly, watching as he carefully set the coin on the ground. She could hear him chuckle again under his breath. She still wasn’t great at the whole “big feelings” thing, but she had gotten better at communicating her confusion with the “big feelings.” Callum found it strangely and humorously endearing, as he once told her before.

She felt a hand reach for her own and intertwine with her fingers. “I’m proud of you,” Callum spoke at her side. She knew he wasn’t referring to her voicing her thoughts, but the broader whole of this sticky situation. (i.e. Meeting her parents again after almost twenty years apart.)

She tightened her grip on his hand. “Thank you,” she said earnestly, turning to meet his eyes, “For helping me find them.”

“Without a second thought,” he replied softly. He let go of her hand, placing them out in front of him towards the lone golden coin that laid on the floor. He spoke a chant, the room lit up, and the process started all over again.

Callum watched the two sleeping figures in front of him with tired eyes. Rayla had just stepped out to get some air and her parents continued to lay completely still on the ground. He looked between the both of them, and although the situation was far from amusing, he found himself mildly amused anyway. Both of her parents hadn’t stirred an inch, hadn’t moved a muscle since they laid them down. Just like how Ralya slept. Completely still.

That was one of the first things he noticed when they had met all those years ago. She was such a light sleeper and always laid completely still. Fitting, he supposed, for an assassin.

He leaned forward and heaved a sigh. He wasn’t aware how long her parents had been trapped exactly, but it was definitely longer than anyone else he had freed prior. Years longer, in fact.He didn’t know what the side effects of being trapped for so long would be, but they couldn’t be good. They were both breathing, and they seemed to be fine, but they had been sleeping for over twelve hours now. Lain hadn’t even opened his eyes when they freed him, only gasped for breath before passing out.

The elves they had freed before were all exhausted and needed their rest, but none had passed out right after being freed. He knew in his head that they would be fine because why wouldn’t they be if the others they had freed were fine. If he were and outsider looking in on this situation, he would have complete confidence that they were healthy and just needed some well-deserved rest. But he wasn’t an outsider looking in.

He knew first-hand what losing parents felt like, and Rayla had too. It wasn’t until they stumbled across Viren’s horrific collection of coins that they found hope for her. After a lot of work, Callum (with the help of Ibis) was able to free the trapped elves. And now Rayla’s parents as well. Callum would give anything to bring back his mother and stepfather, so he understood how much this meant to Rayla. He really wanted this to work.

He needed this to work.

He saw one of the figures move, it was her mother. Tiadrin, Callum noted, watching as her fingers twitched into a fist. He breathed out a sigh of relief. Movement was good.

He watched with a hopeful heart as Tiadrin’s eyes tightened, her brow furrowing in a way that reminded him so much of Rayla. Come on, he thought, wake up.

And perhaps she could hear his thoughts because in that moment, her eyes fluttered open. Blue eyes tiredly looked around, blinking slowly as she took in her surroundings. As her gaze landed upon her husband’s limp form, she jolted awake, desperately reaching for Lain.

“L-lain, are ya alright?” she asked, her voice dry and airy. Callum would think she had a cold if he didn’t know any better. He supposed being trapped in a coin for over a decade and not being able to talk would have some effect on one’s voice.

He was about to speak up, knowing that Tiadrin hadn’t noticed him yet, and tell her that Lain probably only needed rest and would be awake soon enough. But he didn’t need to. Because as Tiadrin gently shook Lain’s form, he stirred awake. His darker eyes met her lighter ones and a tight look of confusion fell upon his face.

“T-ti—" he paused to cough, “Tia?” he spoke her name as if he couldn’t believe it was her. His voice was scratchy and tired as well and speaking proved to take an immense amount of effort for him.

“Lain,” Tiadrin said, and Callum watched as relief seemed to weave itself into every fiber of her being.

“W-whe-ere… are we?” he asked, turning his head to look around them. His eyes past the wooden pillars of the room, the candles and fireplace that were lit, the chair and table in the corner, the river-rock walls, the closed door. Callum felt his blood run cold, knowing he’d be spotted soon enough. After all, he wasn’t trying to hide. But Rayla wasn’t here and he wasn’t so good at first impressions and he didn’t know what to say and this wasn’t how it was supposed to go!

Why oh why did Rayla need to step out to get some air now of all times?

Lain’s bleary eyes found his and Callum froze.

“I don’t know where we are but—…Lain?” Tiadrin asked when Lain’s body stiffened and his eyes widened. Tiadrin followed his gaze and locked eyes with Callum’s.

While she didn’t appear to be scared, Callum had been around enough Moonshadow elves by now to know that she was terrified when she met his stare. Her blue eyes froze, her face turned overly placid, and her shoulders tightened. Her tell was that her nostrils faired ever so slightly. And the only reason Callum considered it telling at all was because Rayla did the exact same. It was strange, even in the last twelve hours with her parents (and the entirety of that time they were unconscious until now), he could see so many random similarities between Rayla and her parents.

“U-uh,” he stuttered out when neither of them spoke. “She, uh, she does the same thing,” he gestured to Tiadrin. “Rayla does. With her nose. Um, it’s, uh… yeah…" Why was he talking about noses!? A simple, ‘Hello, I’m the one who freed you from your coins,’ would have sufficed!

Slowly, Tiadrin and Lain both stood to their feet, each with an uneasy gaze locked on Callum.

Callum waved his hands frantically in front of him, trying his best to explain the situation. “Oh! No, I’m not… uh, I’m not here to hurt you or anything! I, well, actually, I’m the one who got you out of the coins so uhm—”

“You said her name,” Lain began, “How do ya know our daughter,” he asked lowly. The way he slowly looked around the room made Callum gulp. He was either looking for an easy escape or a quick weapon. Or both, He thought, Probably, both, actually.

“That’s kinda a long story?” Callum tried, sounding appoligetic. “Listen, you guys have been trapped for a really long time, if you would just relax for a moment we can explain—"

“’We?’ How many others of your kind are here with you?” Tiadrin cut in, leaning over to a nearby table and grabbing a long candlestick. Callum would have laughed at the choice in make-shift weaponry, but knowing what Moonshadow elves were capable of, he was well aware that even a candlestick was lethal so long as it was in her hands.

“Oh man this is not going as planned…” he grimaced, bringing his hands down from his face. “My name is Callum, I’m not your enemy. You were trapped in magical coins by a dark mage, but you’re free now,” he said calmly.

Footsteps could be heard approaching the closed door. Callum’s head whipped behind him, watching as the door creaked open to reveal Rayla. “Sorry I took as long as I did, I just can’t stay cooped up inside here for too—” she paused mid-sentence as she took in the scene in front of her. “—long…” she finished.

Callum looked between Rayla and her parents, each staring blankly at one another. “So… uh…” he began awkwardly, successfully grabbing Rayla’s attention. “They woke up,” he said plainly, unsure what else to say. This has to be the absolute strangest way anyone has ever had to meet their in-laws, he thought.

Rayla’s brow lifted ever so slightly, her lips pursing as she held Callum’s stare. As if to say, Smooth, loud-mage… He saw her eyes soften and the tips of her ears fall in suppressed amusement, and he couldn’t help but feel relieved. Awkward as this situation was, at least he could humor her.

Rayla turned to her parents, her face a broken neutral. Try as she might, the nerves peaked through her still features. Apprehension, anxiety, excitement, fear… “Um,” she said, taking in a deep breath, “Welcome back, Mom and Dad.”

The candlestick clattered to the floor.

They knew. The moment Rayla walked through the door and she met their eyes, they knew. Rayla could tell by the enormous Ambler in that had walked into the room. She was meeting her parents for the first time in over a dozen years. They had to have known it was her.

Moonshadow elves have markings on their face, and each marking is unique to each elf. There was no one else she could have been but their daughter. Rayla. Herself. So, their absolute shock, all wide eyed and frozen lipped, was to be expected. But the moment she spoke those words, the candlestick dropped. Perhaps they needed the conformation. Maybe they just needed to know that yes, this is real.

Xadia, she was having trouble believing it herself.

“It’s really you,” her mother spoke in disbelief. “But you’re… you’re all grown up,” she said, her eyebrows pinching together in confusion. Or was it grief?

Rayla tried to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. “Time’ll do that,” she said, “It’s been fifteen years since you were taken by Viren.”

She saw Callum stand from the chair he had been sitting in and begin to excuse himself, “I should probably give you all some space,” he said, but she stopped him.

She reached out and grabbed his hand, “No, stay,” she said, looking him in the eyes. He was a part of this with her, and she wanted him to know that.

He watched her carefully before responding, as if he wanted to see if she was sure, but after a second passed he squeezed her hand and nodded. “Okay,” he said, standing by her side.

She looked back to her parents and saw them watching her and Callum in confusion. If “confusion” was even the right word to use. They were confused without a doubt, but there was more to it than that. Their brows knitted together, their eyes perplexed, their mouths just barely parted. She supposed she couldn’t blame them, though.

“There are probably a lot’a questions runnin’ around in those heads of yours,” Rayla spoke, nervously shifting on her feet. It was a vague invitation for them to ask her anything, because honestly? Rayla had no idea where to start… She felt Callum’s hand squeeze her own comfortingly and she brushed the back of his palm with her thumb.

Her mother began walking towards her and she tightened her grip on Callum’s hand. This moment felt so unsteady, so unpredictable, and she found herself leaning on him and the stability he offered.

As she approached, her mom reached out tentatively towards Rayla’s face. Her fingers gingerly brushed her daughter’s cheeks, tracing the purple markings under her eyes. “Is it truly you?” she asked in disbelief. And that voice. Soft and gentle. I remembered it.

Rayla’s breath hitched, catching in her throat before she could respond. Letting go of Callum, she could only nod as she softly held her mother’s hands and leaned into her touch. It had been so long since she had seen her mother, but her touch was familiarly warm.

Behind them, her father stepped forward with wide eyes. “Rayla,” his voice wavered, “We are so… so sorry,” he breathed guiltily. “We weren’t able to fulfill our duty an’ protect the Dragon Prince, to protect the world, to—” he stopped and took a shaky inhale. “We weren’t able to protect you.” Protect me? She thought, but before she could refute, Callum spoke up at her side.

“Actually,” he said, quieter than normal, probably overtly aware of his presence in this moment. “The Dragon Prince is safe and in Xadia with his mother, The Queen. You were able to protect the egg, Xadia, and your daughter.”

Both her parents turned to Callum as if they had forgotten he was there. Rayla decided she would take this moment to introduce him. She cleared her throat and stepped away from her mother’s touch. “Mom, Dad,” she said, reaching to grab Callum’s hand. “This is Prince Callum of Katolis.”

The implications were clear enough. She had grabbed his hand while introducing him. Moonshadow elves were not typically touchy-feely, at least, not with outsiders. Which left Rayla’s parents to assume that, whoever this man was, he was no stranger to her. She saw them glance at their intertwined hands and then up past her face and stopping at the top of her head. She knew what they were looking at: the two silver cuffs, carefully crafted and embroidered, wrapped around her horns.

We’re married. The words were stuck on her tongue. How could she tell them that they missed their daughter’s wedding? That she and Callum had gotten married well before they had made any lead on a spell to free them from the coins. That she wasn’t a child anymore. And probably a more pressing matter for them—she married a human.

If they had any opinions on her and Callum, they chose not to voice them. Yet, she thought. “Katolis…” her father spoke slowly, “I know that name.”

Callum coughed awkwardly, “Um… my step-father, the former King Harrow, was the one who slayed Avizandum, the King of Dragons. And, uh—” he cleared his throat, “Viren, the dark mage that, uh, trapped you. He was my step-fathers high-mage.” Callum sucked in a quick breath and released it, “So the name might be… familiar, to say the least.”

“What?” both her parents hissed, and Rayla immediately felt defensiveness prick at her lips.

“—But Callum’s different. An’ so is his younger brother, King Ezran. They helped me return the dragon prince to his rightful home and end the war. And ever since then, we have been establishing peace between humans and elves.” She hadn’t noticed how hard she was squeezing Callum’s hand until he gently squeezed hers back.

“Peace?” her father echoed, “With humans?”

She saw Callum nod out of the corner of her eye. “I know, it’s hard to believe. But there are even some Elves who have come to live here in Katolis. It’s not been a smooth process, and there are still a lot of issues, but it’s moving. The war really brought everyone together.”

Her mother’s eyebrows furrowed deeper in confusion. “War?” she asked.

“Viren, the dark mage that trapped you both, he created an army of monsters an’ attacked Xadia. Katolis an’ its neighborin’ kingdoms helped in the battle. Humans, elves and dragons were fighting side by side for a common goal. It helped bring everyone together again,” Rayla explained. “That was over a decade ago.”

It was silent for a moment, and Rayla couldn’t blame them for not responding. It was a lot to take in. Had someone told her 15 years ago that elves and humans would be living peacefully (relatively at least) side by side, she wouldn’t have believed it. A lot had changed.

“Is that how you two met?” her mother asked.

Rayla cringed. She couldn’t help but be surprised by the question. While it wasn’t loaded, there was a lot of meaning underneath it and it felt strangely weighted. Are you two actually engaged? That’s what it sounded like she was actually asking.

“We met before the war started,” she answered, “When we were bringin’ the Dragon Prince back to Xadia.” I was sent to assassinate his brother, she thought, but held it back. They could talk about that later.

Her father stumbled on his feet, grasping his head and groaning. Rayla stepped forward to help, but her mother had already grabbed her father’s shoulders and steadied him. “Lain,” she said worriedly.

Callum let go of Rayla’s hand, stepping towards her parents cautiously. “May I?” he asked, reaching out towards her father. Her mother skeptically looked at Callum, but neither said anything to discourage him.

Callum hand glowed a soft yellow as he placed it on her father’s chest. His eyes closed and his face twisted softly in concentration. “You’re fine,” he spoke, opening his eyes and looking at him. “I’m sure you’re just exhausted from being in the coins. The previous elves we released needed to recuperate for a while before they began to feel like themselves again.”

“In other words, you should rest,” Rayla said, meeting her parents’ eyes. “There are rooms prepared just down the hall if you wish to have a more comfortable place to lay down.”

There was a look that passed through her mother’s eyes that Rayla could have sworn she knew. It was plotting, planning… conniving, almost. She wanted to see her surroundings and learn what they were up against. It was a response founded in distrust and caution and a response Rayla knew quite well.

_“It’s just a dinner, Rayla. And we were invited to come,” she remembered Callum telling her once while they were engaged. They had just arrived in Duren upon request of Queen Aanya._

_“I just want to know what we’re getting into. Humans still have a hard time trustin’ elves, ya know,” she had told him, peering around a corner._

_Callum had sighed, grabbing her shoulders, “Just… don’t look so conspicuously conniving. They’ll think you’re planning something.”_

“Okay,” her mother spoke finally, breaking Rayla from her thoughts, “You’re right, we should probably lay down.”

Rayla smiled, but it felt unnatural. This whole situation felt unnatural. And while she felt enormous relief that her parents were freed, alive, and seemingly well, it did nothing to cover the extreme perplexity of their current circumstance. Awkward? No, it was well beyond awkward. It was something else entirely.

Callum slipped his hand into hers and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

“We’ll show you where the rooms are,” she said, leading them out the door.

They hadn’t seen anything suspicious on their way to the room. Rayla and the mage – Callum, he thought – had kept a few paces ahead, talking privately to one another. When they got to their room, Rayla assured them that they were free to leave the room if they wished and guaranteed their privacy while they rested.

So Lain had slumped himself on a cushy chair in the corner of their new quarters. He watched as Tiadrin walked around and examined the room curiously. She was looking at the walls, the furniture, running her hands along the dresser and bedposts, each carefully and expertly carved.

“I’ve never understood humans,” she mumbled on her breath while analyzing the carvings. “They take what’s already beautiful and manipulate it.”

Lain saw the way her eyes peered downward in a mixture of confusion and frustration. And while he currently didn’t have the energy to express it, he felt similarly. Their little girl, their Rayla, lived here? With humans?

“I’m havin’ trouble imagining a world where humans an’ elves are at peace with one another,” she confessed.

He felt himself nodding, “I never thought it possible.”

It was quiet for a moment, the only noise heard was the folding of the plush blankets atop the bed that Tiadrin sat down on. “He’s a mage,” she spoke up plainly.

Lain nodded again, “He is.”

She hummed lightly and fell backwards onto the bed. Lain watched as the tension in her shoulders slowly began to relax as she rested on the mattress. “Do ya suppose he’s a dark mage?”

“No,” The words were out of his mouth before he had really given her question much thought. “Rayla… our little girl,” he sighed, “She would never be as foolish as ta trust the dark arts.”

“But dark magic can be persuasive an’ we’ve been gone for so long-“ Tiadrin sat back up, looking Lain in the eyes, “Who would’ve raised her to believe otherwise?” she asked, her voice steeped with confliction. Lain knew the question that was running through her mind and it had been dwelling on him as well.

Had they made the right decision to leave their daughter and their home to become a part of the Dragon Guard?

“Runaan an’ Ethari, remember? They agreed to raise her, an’ I don’ see ‘em ever being tempted by such evils,” Lain said, standing up and walking to her. He grabbed her hand in his and kissed it. “We trust ‘em with our lives, they’re our family. I’m sure they taught her well,” he reminded her tenderly.

Tiadrin looked up at her husband with weary eyes. “Then where are they now?”

He sighed, sitting down next to her, “I don’ know. But I’m sure Rayla has a good head on ‘er shoulders.” He glanced at her and tried to smile as she laid her head on his shoulder. Perhaps humans could be mages. Perhaps elves and humans could live in peace.

He laid down and closed his eyes, feeling Tiadrin lay at his side. A cautious curiosity bloomed in his chest as he slowly fell asleep. If what they said was true, then the world had greatly changed.


	2. Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's part II! This chapter took longer than I was expecting, not gonna lie. Thanks for being patient for the update, I hope you all enjoy.

\- PART II -

* * *

Callum walked quickly down the hall towards the room he shared with Rayla. He had just gotten done briefing Ez about Rayla’s parents. Ez had mentioned that he had a dinner planned, a small gathering for family, and told Callum to pass the message along to Tiadrin and Lain. They both knew it was unlikely that the two recently freed Moonshadow elves would be eager to sit at a table full of humans – even if their daughter was at that table. Either way, he would pass the information along and hope they would join for dinner.

He smiled to himself as he made his way, grateful to live so close to his brother again. He missed simply being able to go to his younger brother and talk. Now he had that luxury again.

He and Rayla had lived in at the Spire for several years, and if he were being honest, Callum still considered it home. They lived there for almost ten years while the aftermath of returning Zym to his mother unfolded, so it was strange to be so far away from it. But living at the Spire wasn’t safe, even if peace _had_ settled between the two lands. And safety was important now.

It was good to be back in Katolis, and they had been welcomed back with open arms by everyone, including the citizens (albeit the prejudice few). And while Callum struggled to feel like he belonged in Katolis when he was growing up, it didn’t mean he didn’t miss the place he considered home his entire childhood.

He knocked on the door to his and Rayla’s room as he opened it, walking in and closing it behind him.

“You know, ya defeat the purpose of knockin’ if ye don’ wait for a response,” he heard Rayla say. He turned to see her sitting on their bed, hair tied away from her face, and bouncing their daughter on her lap. She hadn’t looked up at him. Instead, she focused her attention on the wisps of brown hair that delicately waved up and down on their daughter’s head and bringing her hand up to gently brush them back.

“You’re my wife,” he said, a smile on his lips as he made his way towards her, “I didn’t know I needed to wait to come into our room.” He sat down next to her, reaching towards their daughter’s cheek and brushing his thumb across it. He grinned when she giggled lightly in response.

Rayla scoffed and gently nudged him with her shoulder, “Ya don’ have ta wait. I just don’ see why ya bother knockin’ in the first place.”

“It’s to warn you,” he grinned at her, “Since I’ve gotten _so_ good at sneaking, I figured you’d need help knowing when I’m coming around.”

A low laugh rumbled from her chest and she looked at him from the side of her eye. “Ah, _yes._ I definitely _cannot_ hear ya comin’ from miles away,” she said sarcastically. After a beat, she added, “Don’ be silly, Callum. I always know when yer around.” While the words seemed boastful, her soft tone betrayed her and Callum knew what she really meant.

They had been together for what felt like a lifetime. So long that sometimes, to Callum, Rayla often felt like an extension of himself. And now that they had Sara, their connection had somehow grown even stronger. Rayla was right: she always knew when he was near, just like _he_ always knew when _she_ was near.

He watched her as she turned her face towards him and he waited patiently as she leaned up to press a soft kiss to his lips. He sighed as she drew away, chasing her touch without realizing.

“I love you,” he heard her whisper and felt her breath tickle his skin. Her nose brushed against his as she leaned up to capture his lips once more, slower this time, but just as meltingly soft.

It was in moments like these that Callum had trouble grasping his reality. Her words, her touch, their life, their daughter. It all felt so _big_ that he couldn’t imagine holding it all even if he tried. It was the strangest sense of overwhelming, like a swelling in his chest that threatened to poor out of his mouth and prick at his eyes. He reached to hold her cheek, perhaps in an attempt to steady himself, and as a reminder this was all _real_. Gratitude flowed through him like warm water as he pulled away to look at her.

“I love you, too,” he managed to say, pulling his gaze away from her bright eyes and to the smile that was blooming on her lips.

They both turned when they heard a disgruntled whine escape their daughter’s mouth. Her violet eyes bore up at her parents impatiently and Callum could’ve _sworn_ he’d seen that face countless times before on Rayla. He laughed and reached out to pick their daughter up, hoisting her easily from Rayla’s lap and onto his own, letting her grasp his finger with her hand.

“Well Sara,” Callum grinned. “Do you think you’re ready to meet your grandparents?” he asked, although the question wasn’t entirely directed at her.

Rayla sighed and stood up, echoing his thoughts when she said, “I don’ think it’s her we need to worry about.”

Callum nodded, his face growing serious. They had been up late talking about their current situation; discussing the insanity of it, their worries and their hopes. Lain and Tiadrin were suddenly back in Rayla life, and it would be a big adjustment. The world had changed so much, and her parents weren’t there to watch the transition of the old age bleeding into the next. It would be abrupt, shocking, and difficult for them all. Christ’s sake, her parents had been captured when Rayla was ten years old, and now they’re _grandparents._

Difficult was an incredible understatement.

Callum watched as Rayla changed into a more appropriate attire, recalling their conversation from last night.

 _“They weren’t able to raise me since they left for the Dragon Guard,” she had said wearily, “They’ve probably barely come to terms with the fact that they’re_ parents, _Callum.” She had been holding his hand while they both stood over their daughter’s crib while she slept. “They had me when they were so young… how am I supposed to tell them I’ve grown up, gotten married, and have a daughter of my own?”_

_Callum hadn’t been able to form an answer then, so he waited for her to continue, brushing his thumb along her palm._

_“Am I terrible for feelin’ like this?” she asked lowly, barely loud enough for Callum to hear._

_He reached up to tuck a stray strand of her white hair behind her ear. “What do you feel like?” he asked, looking at the way her eyebrows furrowed in thought._

_“They left the Silvergrove when I was young, I barely remember ‘em ever bein’ there. I’ve practically lived my entire life without ‘em and…” she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. “It’s hard to imagine a relationship with either of ‘em.” She turned and looked at him, her eyes shining with unfallen tears. “An’ I feel like such a_ monster _for that,” she said in a broken voice._

_“Rayla, you’re not a—” Callum had begun, but was cut short._

_“I stand here an’ look over at Sara an’ I—” she let go of Callum’s hand to reach up and wipe away the stray tears that had fallen down her cheek. “Callum I don’ think I could manage to_ breathe _if Sara ever felt like she couldn’t have a relationship with me,” she hiccupped, turning away from him and crossing her arms tightly around her chest._

_Callum could feel his heart shatter when he heard her words. “Rayla, look at me,” he urged her. When she didn’t turn, he continued anyway, “You’re not a monster, Rayla. What you’re feeling… it’s… it’s understandable. You didn’t ask for your parents to show back up into your lives after you grieved the loss of them.”_

_“But you’d imagine I’d be more grateful they’re_ back— _” she said, cutting off to take in a shaky breath. “An’ I don’ mean that,” she quickly amended, “I_ am _grateful they’re back, it’s just… it didn’t feel like I had much choice in the matter either,” she said, wiping at her cheeks again. “I mean, I couldn’t just leave ‘em_ trapped _in there.”_

_Callum steped forward and gently hugged her from behind, letting his chin rest on her head. He could feel both of her horns touching his cheeks as he leaned to kiss the top of her head. “You’re not a monster, this is just going to be another adjustment. Don’t beat yourself up over it being difficult, or over your feelings.”_

_He could feel her lean backwards into him and he took in a deep breath, breathing her in. “I don’ deserve you,” she said. He felt her reach up to grab his hand that had wrapped around her shoulder, holding it gently_

_“You deserve more than you know,” he said. He turned her around in his embrace and pulled her towards the bed they shared, kissing her while they both collapsed onto the mattress._

“Callum?” he heard Rayla call his name. He shook his head, blinking as he was brought back to the present moment.

“Hm?” he hummed, standing up and shifting Sara to sit at his waist.

“We should probably make our way to the courtyard,” she said, now changed into her usual mixture of Katolin and Moonshadow clothing. She continued to wear a dark green and grey garment under her Katolin cloak that was light weight and easy to maneuver in.

Callum felt himself nodding, “Right,” he said, remembering they had decided last night, after bringing her parents to their room, to meet in the courtyard in the morning. They had slipped a note under Lain and Tiadrin’s door, knowing they were probably already resting.

“Let’s go, then,” he said, walking over to her with Sara still on his side, reaching out and grabbing his wife’s hand.

* * *

Tiadrin woke up slowly, coming in and out of rest. Her mind wanted her to get up, but her body wouldn’t let her. It wasn’t until Lain stirred beside her that she finally opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. She startled at first, a cold wave of panic rushing down her spine, before remembering where she was.

And what happened.

She forced herself to sit up, feeling her body arch at the effort. It felt like her head was full of rocks. Or rather, her head _was_ a rock. Her movements were slow as she swung her legs off the bed and leaned over, face in her hands.

She heard Lain sit up behind her. “Tia,” he said in a voice that was thick with fatigue, “Are ya alright.”

She turned to him and attempted a smile. “I suppose I am… under the circumstances,” she said and saw his eyes dull with worry.

He reached to rub her back. “Today we’ll be able to sit down an’ talk with ‘em… get some answers,” he said, sounding far off in thought. She couldn’t blame him for it, though. She felt quite similar.

“Sit down an’ talk with our _daughter,_ ” she said, her head falling back into her hands as she rubbed her temples, “Who’s all grown up.”

A quietness fell between them when she spoke that insane reality. Their daughter, who they thought should be ten years old, was probably around twenty-five. _Heavens_ , Tiadrin had to look _up_ at her when she had touched her face. And their (not-so) little girl was _married._

She and Lain hadn’t talked deeply about the fact that Rayla, although their daughter didn’t say it, was married to a human. But what was there _to_ say besides _their daughter was married to a human?_ It was the last thing they could have imagined for her, but… it’s what happened. Tiadrin supposed the only thing that truly mattered was their daughter’s health and wellbeing. And whoever that human mage was ( _Callum,_ she recalled), he made their daughter feel safe. She remembered watching the way Rayla had reached for him when he had suggested he would leave.

_“No, stay,” Rayla had said, looking the mage in the eyes._

_There was a conversation that happened between them, only a moment long, but it felt weighted. Rayla trusted him, Tiadrin noted._

“She looks like you,” she heard Lain say softly, breaking Tiadrin from her thoughts. She raised her head from her hands and looked at him again, this time her smile was genuine.

“Really? I think she looks more like you,” she replied, reaching out and holding his face by his chin, brushing her thumb along his jaw. “She has yer eyes an’ face, an’ that same swoop to her nose as you,” she said, looking over his features thoughtfully. “She even has a subtle crease between her brows like you do.”

Lain laughed lightly, “Same crease, huh? She must do a lot a’ thinkin’,” he said, reaching to grab hold of her hand. He stopped halfway, however, when his eyes left hers and focused on something behind her. She would’ve been worried if he hadn’t looked so curious.

“What is it?” she asked, turning to follow his gaze. At first, she saw nothing. Just the empty room behind her, but then she saw a small, pale slip of parchment that had been slipped under the door. Someone must have left them a note.

She watched as Lain got up, stretching as he did so, and walked to pick up the note. As he read it, she saw his eyebrows fall and lift, taking in the information carefully. “After not using ma eyes for so long,” he finally spoke, folding up the note, “It’s strainin’ ta read.”

“What did it say?” she asked.

“They wan’ us ta meet in the courtyard. There’ll be a bit a’ food for breakfast, too,” he summarized, running a hand through his hair. “I suppose we should get ready then,” he suggested. “Or… at least freshen up,” he amended, referring to their lack of fresh clothing.

“I suppose we should,” Tiadrin agreed, taking in a deep breath and breathing it out. They were in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar people – the _human_ kind of people – and were being asked to meet in another area. Every cautious bone in Tiadrin’s body screamed not to leave the security of their room, but what other choice did they have? Rayla was waiting for them.

After they had finished, they hesitantly left their room. It was strange, Tiadrin thought, to be walking in a castle made by humans. They had even passed a few armed guards who merely nodded at them as they passed – as if they were completely fine with elves just walking by. _Perhaps they were,_ she considered, but she had trouble believing it.

She and Lain had run into humans before. Every time they had, the humans would cover their faces, cower backwards, and beg for mercy. Humans thought elves were monsters, and elves thought humans were monsters. And yet here they were, walking through a human castle with human guards and no human so much as _flinched._ She felt Lain reach for her hand, and she sensed he was just as apprehensive as she was. But Rayla, their _daughter,_ was supposedly waiting for them just outside these walls. Even if this _were_ some kind of twisted trap, it would be worth falling into for the chance at seeing their daughter again.

They wandered down the main hall (or what they assumed was the main hall) until they came across a large door, flanked by two guards. As they approached the door, Tiadrin could feel Lain’s grip tighten on her hand. The two guards stepped forward, grabbing the large iron handles, and they each swung it open.

The bright light of day flooded her senses, blinding her for a moment. The sky was blue, the air was fresh, and the softest of breezes could be heard in the rustling of trees. Before them was a small stone staircase that lead to cobblestone ground. There were small patches of grass on either side of the staircase where a few trees stood. In front of them, in the center of the yard, was a table set with baskets of food and pitchers of drinks. Some she recognized (a few Xadian fruits), and others she did not. But, if she were being honest, it all looked quite inviting and her stomach was already tightening in hunger. She and Lain walked through the door, his grip staying locked on her hand.

As they stepped down the stairs, an odd sense of awe fell over her. _Was this where their daughter called home?_ She wondered, _What of the Silvergrove? Of Runaan and Ethari?_ Her thoughts were cut short when she heard footsteps from behind them.

“Good morning!” A cheerful voice greeted. She and Lain quickly turned around and saw a young man with a dark complexion and brilliantly blue eyes waving at them. He wore a red cloak with gold trip and a golden band sat atop his head. As the young man made his way down the stairs, he gestured to the table. “I’m sure you are both hungry,” he said, “Please, have a seat.”

Tiadrin watched as the young man walked past them, reaching to the table and grabbing a pastry. _Where was Rayla?_ She wondered, unwilling to move towards the table with this stranger. _And who is this man?_

“Or you can stand over there and _not_ eat,” the young man spoke again, turning to look at them. He smiled gently, “I’m sure you’re wondering where Rayla and Callum are,” he said. “They should be here any moment now. In the meantime, let me introduce myself.” He sat down on the table bench with his back to the table so he could face them. “My name is Ezran.”

Tiadrin watched the young man take a bite out of the pastry he held, chewing quickly before swallowing. Before either she or Lian could respond, he continued. “You are Tiadrin and Lian, right?”

She could see Lain nod out of the corner of her eye.

The young man smiled again, “Rayla has told me about you both,” he said. “Please,” he gestured towards the table again, “I hate being the only one sitting. Join me.”

Tiadrin felt Lain’s hand loosen its grip on her own as they slowly approached the table. “It’s… nice to meet you, Ezran,” Lian spoke from beside her. They walked around the other side of the table and took a seat. Tiadrin kept a close eye on the young man, _Ezran,_ she remembered. He seemed kind and genuine, but who was he? Clearly, he was someone close enough for Rayla to talk to often, and he must live in this castle as well.

“Rayla told you about us?” Tiadrin asked, her chest tightening at the thought of her daughter.

Ezran nodded, “You both were on the Dragon Guard. You saved the dragon prince’s life… and the rest of Xadia as well. We are all very grateful for you.”

Guilt gnawed at Tiadrin’s stomach. _Grateful?_ she thought. Suddenly, she didn’t feel that hungry anymore. “We really didn’t do anythin’,” she said lowly, almost as if she weren’t supposed to be saying it. “We could have done more, we _should have_ done more-“

“Viren would have used the egg for dark magic if it weren’t for you both,” Ezran stopped her, looking at her intently. She didn’t know this man, this _Ezran,_ but he felt… strangely safe. His gaze lightened and his smile returned, “But now Zym’s back home with his mother and he’s gotten so _big,_ I can hardly believe I could hold him on my own at one point!” he said, laughing.

 _Zym?_ Tiadrin thought, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“Zym?” Lain echoed her thoughts, looking just as confused as she felt.

Ezran smiled cheekily, “Oh, the dragon prince. His name is Azymondias, but we all call him Zym for short.”

Tiadrin could feel her eyebrows lift as she looked incredulously at the young man. “You’ve nicknamed the future king of dragons?” she asked, watching as Ezran reached for another treat.

“I mean, Zym is fine with it—” Ezran was cut short as the doors behind him open.

Tiadrin watched with wide eyes as their daughter and Callum emerged from the doorway. Tiadrin stood up without realizing, her heartbeat speeding up as she took in the sight of _her_. The previous night, Tiadrin and Lain were both so exhausted, and she was in such a shock that she hadn’t taken in her daughter’s appearance. Not in full, at least. It was almost as if she was still imagining the ten-year-old child they had left behind.

But now, before them stood an elf, no longer a child, with longer markings down her cheeks and her horns had fully grown. She was tall, _perhaps taller than me_ , Tiadrin pondered briefly. And while the man at her side wore reds, golds, and blue, their daughter wore the familiar, darker shades of the Moonshadow elves (besides her cloak). Tiadrin quickly realized with a heavy heart, that this was who their daughter grew up to be, and they were not there to witness it. They were not there to guide her, help her, encourage her. And while she felt an odd sort of estrangement, Tiadrin also felt enormous pride. Their once little girl had grown up and found her way in the world. What a beautiful elf Rayla had become.

As Rayla stepped further into the courtyard, Tiadrin finally noticed a small bundle that rested in her daughter’s right arm and was supported by her hip. Wisps of thin brown hair fluttered in the breeze as a small head turned and looked directly at Tiadrin. Violet eyes, oh so familiar violet eyes, met blue, and Tiadrin’s heart stopped.

* * *

Rayla felt her stomach tie up in knots as they stood in front of the doors. She felt Callum’s hand reach for hers, and she clung to it.

While her parents’ return was not unwelcomed, it did bring up a lot of Rayla’s past. There were so many things she had left behind, some willingly and some without choice, that were all bubbling to the surface now. Things like her home and her culture _. Things like Runaan_. She let go of a shaky breath and reminded herself that she could not control her parents’ reaction, no matter how much she may want to try and ease the blow of some things. No matter what, Rayla was proud of who she had become.

Unsurprisingly, Callum could tell she was nervous. She felt his thumb brush her hand before he gently gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You ready?” he asked, turning to her.

She looked up at him and smiled, “No,” she said, squeezing his hand back, “But sometimes ya have to face things you’re not ready for.”

“I think I’ve heard that line before,” Callum said knowingly.

Rayla found the energy to give him a cheeky grin. “Whoever said it must’ve been off their rocker,” she said.

He scoffed, “Insanity is just another form of genius.”

She rolled her eyes playfully and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Well, that explains a lot about you, if that’s what you believe.” He smiled warmly at her as she pulled away. Sara, who had nestled her head in the crook of Callum’s neck, wiggled from his grasp and reached towards her mother. Rayla laughed lightly, taking Sara into her arms and kissing the top of her head.

“Let’s go,” she said softly and mostly to herself. Callum reached to encouragingly press his hand to the small of her back as the doors opened and they walked into the courtyard.

The first thing Rayla noticed was the table set-up in the center of the courtyard. Facing away from them was Ez who was seemingly in the middle of saying something before abruptly stopping. Then she looked past him to the two Moonshadow elves. She felt her breath catch in her throat as they both stood up, looking directly at her. Their gaze almost felt _desperate._

She felt pressure on her back as Callum urged her to move forward, so she stepped down the stairs. Sara made a faint noise in her arms and she moved her little head to look out. Rayla watched her mother’s gaze drop from herself to Sara, and she didn’t miss the way Tiadrin’s eyes widened and how her chest rose in a sudden intake a breath.

Rayla smiled shakily as she and Callum approached the table, and as she spoke, she hoped her parents couldn’t hear her voice’s unsteadiness. “Mornin’,” she said, “I see you’ve met Ez already.”

Lain and Tiadrin nodded. “Your friend?” Lain questioned, glancing at Ezran quizzically.

“Friend _an’_ brother-in-law,” Rayla replied, “He’s Callum’s younger brother.”

All eyes turned to Callum in that moment, and Rayla felt the support on her lower-back faulter for a brief moment. Just as she was nervous, he was nervous too. He cleared his throat and stretched out his hand over the table and towards Lain and Tiadrin. “I know we met last night, but we never got to the niceties of our introduction,” he said as a nervous laugh pushed past his lips unwillingly. “It’s nice to meet you… um, _officially,_ ” he finished while her parents took turns shaking his hand.

“…Likewise,” Lain replied cautiously, both his and Tiadrin’s eyes shifting back towards Rayla.

Rayla looked down at Sara who was curiously looking at all the treats on the table. “Mom, Dad… This is Sara, our daughter,” she spoke quietly, as if her words alone would shatter the ground beneath them and swallow them up. _Your granddaughter_ went unspoken.

Her mother shifted around the table to stand closer. As she drew near, Rayla noticed that Tiadrin was shorter than herself. It was a strange thing to take note of in the current circumstance, but Rayla couldn’t help it. It almost felt… _wrong –_ as if she wasn’t supposed to be taller than her mother. Because how could you be taller than your mother if you can barely remember being shorter?

Tiadrin looked in a sad sort of wonder at Sara, and while Rayla did not see disgust or hatred in her mother’s face, it still pained her to see her mother’s grief. Tiadrin cautiously reached to brush the thin strands of brown hair away from Sara’s face. Sara, who’s attention _was_ on the food, quickly moved to look up at Tiadrin. Rayla watched her mother’s blue eyes soften, the smallest smile gracing her face as she lightly traced the markings on Sara’s cheeks.

“She’s beautiful,” she whispered, and Rayla wondered if Tiadrin had meant to speak it.

Rayla felt tears prick at the corner of her eyes. An enormous wave of relief washed over her and she felt _warm._ Her parents didn’t know everything yet, they don’t know about how much the world had changed, but the way her mother looked at Sara gave her an incredible amount of hope. It was a good first step.

Lain appeared at Tiadrin’s side and a similar smile pulled at his lips. “Sara,” he tested the name on his tongue, looking back up to Rayla.

“We named her after Callum’s mother, Queen Sarai,” Rayla explained.

“My mother always believed there could be peace between Xadia and the human kingdoms,” Callum began and Rayla felt his hand leave the small of her back, moving to her hip as he gently pulled her closer. “Sara is proof that it’s possible.”

Rayla nodded to her mother, “Would you like to hold her?” she asked.

At first, she was worried her mother would refuse. The quick look of apprehension that crossed her face made Rayla wonder if she had spoken too soon. But as quickly as the look came, it was replaced with one of gratitude. Rayla wordlessly handed Sara to Tiadrin and Tiadrin readily accepted. At first, Sara whined, unsure of what to think about being handed off to someone new. But she quickly calmed, looking curiously up at this new figure.

Tiadrin cooed gently and Lain came closer. He gently held out his finger and Sara grasped it, holding on tightly. Lain laughed and glanced up at Rayla. “She’s strong,” he said.

Rayla watched the scene play out in front of her and felt torn. She was overjoyed her parents seemed to accept Sara, but the way they held her and looked at her caused Rayla to wonder if they were like that with her. She remembers her parents from when she was a child, but they felt more like figures in her mind more than actual parents. She doesn’t remember too many moments of them holding her. In her defense, she didn’t have many experiences to go on.

And the way her parents were with Sara made her wish she had more memories. It made her wish to be small again and be held by her mother and father. _That’s silly,_ Rayla told herself, but the desire didn’t fade.

She realized she had reached for Callum’s hand without realizing. She glanced at him and he gave her a quick smile.

She turned back to her parents who were now grinning broadly at Sara, speaking gently to her. Rayla may not have been able to have many of those moments with her parents, but Sara would be. And for that, Rayla’s heart soared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES, there will be a part III. It may end up being a bit shorter, but knowing me, I'll end up making it another 5k words. I don't have an exact estimate on when that chapter will be finished, but maybe 2 weeks?
> 
> There are definitely a lot of unanswered questions still between Rayla and her parents, and I'd like to be able to explore their relationship a bit which I've still not entirely done with these first two chapter... and that's kinda pathetic, tbh. So the next part will feature a lot of Rayla and her parents. I'll also be going into (my version) of what happened after the war.
> 
> Stick around for part III :) Make sure to follow the story if you haven't already so you can be notified when I update. 
> 
> Lastly! Check out my Tumblr page for some rayllum fan art! I'm LovelySheree there as well.


	3. Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter + an epilogue!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm happy to be updating and finishing this story! Thank you for everyone who has been keeping up and participating.
> 
> Before this chapter starts, I want to clear up a few things. 
> 
> FIRST!  
> While writing this story, I had trouble nailing down a canon timeline of when Rayla’s parents were coined. Let me clarify the timeline I am and have been writing under even though I believe it to be incorrect now.  
> \- In this story, Rayla’s parents were taken by Viren when she was ten years old.  
> \- They have been coined for fifteen years.  
> \- Rayla and Callum are both twenty-five years old, and Rayla will be turning twenty-six soon (it’s set in mid-July, so Callum just turned twenty-five).
> 
> SECONDLY! (and this is important)  
> I understand that this chapter may be sensitive to some readers. And while I am willing to speak UP, I would like to clarify that I am in no way trying to speak FOR those who feel bullied, oppressed, or anyone who has experienced discrimination.

\- **PART III** -

* * *

Callum held Sara on his lap, bouncing her on his knee and she giggled excitedly. The conversation around the table had become pleasant and easy, a welcomedshift from the awkwardness before. Now, Rayla’s parents were asking questions about herself and her new life. They asked more of how she met Callum and Ezran, then many following questions about their crazy first journey together.

Callum couldn’t blame them. There was a lot to unpack over the last fifteen years.

Lain shook his head at something Rayla said while she reached for a tart, the beginnings of a laugh escaping him as he began to speak. “I can’t believe Ethari and Runaan are fine with you living with humans,” he began, looking at Callum apologetically, “No offense.”

Callum felt his knee stop bouncing and his blood run cold. As much as they both knew this conversation was coming, he couldn’t help but feel heartbroken once again. He saw Rayla absently stare at the tart she held, and he wondered if he was imagining the slight tremor in her hand as she slowly set it down onto her plate. She steeled herself before speaking again, “Ethari has grown to love most humans, we even celebrate holidays together,” she said quietly, as if testing the strength of her own voice.

Her parents noticed the sudden change in demeanor around the table. Even Ezran, who had been cheerfully filling in any potential awkward gaps in conversation with inquisitive questions, remained silent.

Lain exchanged a look with Tiadrin. “Did I say somethin’ wrong?” he asked carefully.

Callum opened his mouth to speak, knowing this was a sensitive topic for Rayla, but before he could get anything out, she reached for his hand to quiet him. “Runaan’s no longer with us,” she spoke steadily and Callum’s heart broke at how rehearsed her words sounded. It was something she had to tell herself for a long time, day after day, until she finally believed it. They were words she had spoken to herself in her mind. Words barely uttered, but often thought. “He died a few years ago, during the war.” she said.

Tiadrin and Lian remained silent, looking hopelessly across the table at their daughter.

“Viren freed Runaan from his coin only to kill him right in front’a me,” Rayla’s voice wobbled and Callum squeezed her hand. “I coulda done more to save him, I shoulda—”

“Don’t say that,” Callum stopped her, “You did everything you could.”

Ezran nodded, reaching over and resting his hand on Rayla’s shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault. Viren was a horrible man who did horrible things, don’t blame yourself for his crimes.”

Tiadrin released a shaky breath, “I’m so sorry,” she said, “We should have been there.”

Lain’s fist hit the table, shaking the platters and dishes. “What a horrible man,” he seethed. “Ah shoulda stopped him the second he walked into the Queen’s lair at the Spire.”

“Don’ worry,” Rayla told him evenly, “He won’ be hurtin’ anyone else now. We made sure of it,” she finished, her tone cold.

_Callum remembered seeing her shake as her blades fell from her hands with a clank. Blood puddled at her feet where Viren laid motionless on the ground._

_He remembered holding her while she cried over and over, “He’s gone. He’s really gone.” He looked past Viren to see Runaan slouched against the wall, lifeless._

_It was her first and last kill._

Sara’s cry shook Callum from his thoughts as their daughter reached for her mother. Callum lifted her from his lap as Rayla scooped her up, putting on a smile and brushing back Sara’s soft hair.

“The world is safer now. There’s still a lot a’ work ta do, but it’s improvin’ day by day,” she said, her voice warmer than it was moments before.

“How’s Ethari?” Tiadrin asked.

Rayla lifted her gaze from Sara, who was currently grabbing her finger, to look at Tiadrin. “He says he’s doing well. In fact, he’s going to be arriving in Katolis tonight, assuming his travels went smoothly. He’s still living in the Silvergrove.”

Lain and Tiadrin looked happily surprised, “It’ll be wonderful ta see him again,” Lain said.

“Sara was just a wee newborn last we saw him,” Rayla said.

Ezran laughed, “I remember having a few friendly bets with him over the gender of the baby or how many fingers and toes she’d have. He was right about the gender and I was right about the digits,” Ezran said, wiggling his fingers playfully. “So, we called it even.”

Rayla rolled her eyes, “Well, I’m glad you two were enjoyin’ yerselves while I was goin’ through an unimaginable amount of pain.”

“If I remember correctly, we also waged a bet on whether or not she’d have horns,” Ezran recalled, “And they still haven’t grown.”

Callum reached over and ruffled Sara’s hair. “Nope, her head’s still smooth.”

Rayla looked to her parents, “We’ve tried our best ta research or find any records of halfling children, but we haven’t come across anythin’. The only things we found were some old, crazy ramblings of a dark mage going on and on about the ‘ _potential magical qualities’_ of halfling.”

“We’re just happy she’s healthy,” Callum said.

“I remember hearing horrific stories of halfling creatures growing up,” Tiadrin said, “But that was only mythical jargon made-up to scare us as younglins’.”

Lain nodded slowly, “It’s been a very long time since the human world an’ the magic world have been at peace with one another. Even fifteen years ago, the prospects of havin’ a halflin’ child were preposterous.”

Suddenly, a guard came rushing into the courtyard. “Your Majesty,” he bowed, “Prince Callum, Lady Rayla, Her Highness, honored guests—”

“Haven’t I told you that these long introductions and greetings are getting in the way?” Ezran interrupted with a huff. “There’s no need for such formalities right now,” he said.

“O-of course, Your Majesty. My mistake,” the guard smiled awkwardly. “Uhm, there has been news from one of the villages, south of here. They are in need of assistance.”

Callum turned to the guard, “What kind of assistance?” he asked. It had been a long time since any of the villages needed help, and although he felt guilty admitting it, the idea of getting back in action (even for something as little as this) was exciting.

“There’s a small group of bandits harassing the village. They sent a letter just now requesting immediate aid,” The guard informed.

“Sounds like trouble,” Ezran frowned and the guard excused himself, returning to the castle.

Callum stood up and stretched his arms, “I can go check it out, Ez. It shouldn’t take too long.” _Besides, I’ve been meaning to stretch my arms a bit,_ he thought.

Ezran shook his head, “Not by yourself, it’s best if I go with you. We can take Pyrrah.”

Callum cringed, “No offense to Pyrrah, but I’d rather fly myself.”

Rayla looked between her husband and Ezran with a frown. “Am I not invited?” she asked, shifting Sara on her lap.

Callum grinned at her, “Don’t feel bad, it’ll just be a quick little trip. You won’t even notice we’re gone.”

She sighed, waving him off, “Just don’t forget about the dinner that _you two_ planned,” she reminded them.

Ezran nodded, “Of course! We’ll be back in no time.” He stood from the table and brought his fingers to his mouth, whistling.

Rayla stood up from the table as well, walking over to Callum and kissing him briefly. “Be safe,” she whispered to him.

“Always,” he smiled, then looked to Sara who was propped on Rayla’s hip. “Make sure to keep your mom in check, okay, Sara?” Rayla laughed and playfully smacked Callum’s arm.

A shadow suddenly loomed over the courtyard as a red dragon descended to the ground. “Pyrrah! A village needs our help with some bandits,” Ezran said, walking to the dragon and scratching under her chin. “Do you mind taking me there?”

Turning from Rayla, Callum followed his brother to Pyrrah. “I can lead the way,” he said, removing his jacket. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him. Perhaps years ago, he would have been nervous knowing that everyone was watching, but after mastering each Arcanum, onlookers had become an invigorating addition to magic. (Something Rayla noticed and teased him for). He took in a deep breath, and stretched out his arms, muttering the spell under his breath. “ _Manus. Pluma. Volantus_ ,” he spoke, as he felt the spell take effect.

He extended his now feathered arms and jumped into the air. “We’ll be back before you know it!” he hollered down at them, watching the courtyard grow smaller and smaller as he rose into the sky. He could hear Rayla yell something at him, but he couldn’t make it out. _Probably some teasing remark,_ he figured. Ezran was already right behind him on Pyrrah, so Callum flipped around in the air and headed south towards the village.

* * *

Lain watched with wide eyes as Callum _sprouted wings_ and flew away followed besides his younger brother on a _dragon._

 _Huh,_ he thought, unsure if his eyes were playing tracks on him.

“Way ta show off!” he heard Rayla call after them as they both _flew away_.

He glanced at Tiadrin to see her wearing a similar expression to his own. Clearly his eyes were not fooling him, he realized, looking up in awe at the sky. He peered at the fading dots that were _apparently_ Callum and Ezran on a dragon in disbelief. “Did that really jus’ happen?”

Rayla turned to her parents, “Callum’s a mage, an’ he has a particularly strong connection to the Sky Arcanum. Ezran… he, uh… Well, strangely enough _he’s_ the weirder one of the two.”

“Weirder than a human usin’ primal magic without a primal stone?” Lain questioned, watching as Rayla sat back down at the table once more.

“Apparently he can talk to animals,” she said.

Lain felt his brows push downwards in confusion. “Talk to animals? Like understand them?”

“An’ communicate with ‘em,” she said simply. “I didn’t believe it at first either, but it’s true. His ability _really_ came in handy during the war,” she explained.

Lain could imagine it would, considering a large portion of Xadian creatures were animals. “I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but yer right. That’s weirder than a human mage,” he said and Rayla laughed.

“They’re strange boys,” she sighed with a sentimental look in her eyes.

 _Boys?_ Lain thought incredulously. He assumed his daughter was referring to a time when they were younger, a time when perhaps they _were_ boys, but from what he saw, they were both men. It was strange to consider them as anything other than that. Even with all their colorful storytelling, he had not considered imagining them any younger.

For the first time that day, Lain imagined them as children. He imagined them shorter and scrawnier, with round cheeks and wide eyes. Not one of them was even fifteen years old and yet they saved an entire country—an entire _world._ His heart grew heavy as he imagined his daughter, over a decade younger than she is now, holding that weight on her shoulders.

“Dad?” Rayla asked and Lain caught the concern in her eyes. “Are you alright?” she asked.

Lain sighed. “I just wish we coulda _been_ there to help,” he confessed. “It makes my blood boil thinkin’ about you needing to carry the weight of the world on yer shoulders when you were so young.”

Rayla smiled sadly, “I wish you coulda been there too, Dad, but I wasn’t carryin’ the weight all on my own. The Human kingdoms, Xadia, and the Dragon Queen were all working together. We all shared the weight and burdens of war.”

Lian watched Tiadrin look guiltily down at the table. “How can you ever forgive us?” she asked, squeezing her hands into fists. Rayla was silent for a long moment and Lain felt the air grow heavy with tension.

“I won’t lie and say I’m not angry,” Rayla spoke quietly. “But I can’t say you shoulda done anythin’ differently. Viren captured you both, you did all that you could.” Lain watched as Rayla leaned forward to grab her mother’s hand. Tiadrin looked up to meet her eyes. “I _am_ angry, but I’m not angry at you or Dad.”

Lain felt Rayla grab his hand as well as she looked him dead in the eyes. “There’s nothin’ to forgive.”

He smiled and squeezed her hand. While his heart still felt heavy with grief, there was a weight lifted from his chest when he heard Rayla speak those words.

For the remainder of the afternoon, they sat outside and enjoyed the weather and conversation. There was still so much to catch up on and Rayla spared no detail as she launched into story after story of her life when she lived in the Silvergrove as a girl, and then as an adult here in Katolis. He listened to every word, soaking up as much as he could of his daughter’s life. She had turned into a beautifully brave, strong, and caring elf and he was so, _so_ proud.

Later that evening, Lain found himself sitting on a plush couch near a crackling fireplace. He watched Callum, Rayla, Sara, Ezran, and all their friends converse at the large dining table excitedly. The entire day had been full of good conversation and stories, and his head felt like it was buzzing from an overload of information. First catching up with his daughter, then later talking with Ethari when he arrived… it was quite a lot to take in. It felt nice to be able to sit down and enjoy watching from a distance.

He saw Tiadrin and Ethari approach him. Tiadrin handed him a cup of moonberry wine before sitting down next to him and he gladly accepted it.

“It’s good ta see they’ve accepted the finer things in life here in the human kingdoms,” Lain said humorously, referring to the moonberry wine.

Ethari laughed alongside him, “You know, the human’s grape wine is also quite nice, if yer curious enough to try some.”

Lain shook his head, “I think I’ll stick to moonberries for now,” he said, taking a sip of the drink. “Please, have a seat,” he gestured to the rest of the couch.

Ethari sat on the other side of him and took a deep breath. “When Callum told me he may be able ta free you from the coins, I was beyond joyous,” Ethari spoke. “I am grateful ta have you both back in my life again,” he said honestly.

Tiadrin sighed, “It’s good ta be back,” she said, “The world is so much different than it used ta be.”

“But that’s a good thing, right?” Ethari asked, watching the group converse at the table in front of them.

They watched as an armored man, Lain recalled Callum introducing him as Soren, playfully interact with Sara, making silly faces and strange noises. Beside him was a young boy, holding out a plush toy towards Sara and smiling broadly. A sense of pride filled Lain’s chest as he watched her smile and laugh.

“It is,” he heard Tiadrin confirm.

A silence fell between them. He watched Sara, his granddaughter, joyously interact with everyone at the table, knowing that both Tiadrin and Ethari were watching her as well. For Tiadrin and himself, it was not that long ago when Rayla was that age. He could see so much of Rayla in Sara, like her random bouts of intense confidence that would be suddenly overshadowed by her shyness. Rayla had always had a strong will, even as an infant. Sara, it seems, inherited that quality.

“She’s wonderful, isn’t she?” Ethari spoke, almost absentmindedly, referring to Sara. “I used ta think she was an example of peace, but she’s more than that. She’s a reminder that this new an’ different world can actually exist. She’s proof of it.”

Lain nodded, reaching for Tiadrin’s hand. “I suppose she is,” he smiled, though it was hard to believe. What felt like only a few days ago, he and Tiadrin lived in a world torn by war and suffering. But now, that world was gone. Now, they lived in a world where there was peace (albeit tentative) between the humans and Xadia. Although he was still getting used to the idea that his daughter was all grown up and married and had a child of her own, he couldn’t help but find her and Callum’s relationship poetic. It was a literal marriage between the two vastly different places with their daughter, Sara, representing a beautiful blend of the two worlds.

* * *

_Eighteen Years Later…_

She could feel her legs burn as her heart hammered in her chest. It felt good to run and feel the wind on her face underneath the shaded trees. It was thrilling solace to her skin. She could feel herself pushing a little too hard as her body told her to stop, but her mind wasn’t willing to sit still yet. _Just a little further,_ she told herself, chasing the edge of the forest.

Just beyond the trees was a clearing, a beautiful meadow with wildflowers and dragonflies. There was even a river that ran through, offering cool relief from the heat of summer. She escaped there often. It was a place her parents showed her when she was younger, a place _they_ used to escape to themselves.

She felt her feet hit heavy on the earth below in graceless _thumps_ , her mother would have surely chastised her for such poor form. _Almost there,_ she insisted, seeing the light of the clearing peek through the trees just ahead.

A root caught her foot and she tumbled forward, barely having time to stretch her hands out as they scraped against the dirt. She saw stars dance across her vision and she knew she pushed herself too hard. Falling to the cool ground, still a half-mile away from the clearing, she tried to catch her breath. _Fine,_ she surrendered, falling onto her back.

Her eyes burned as tears brimmed at their corners unsteadily, threatening to fall down her cheeks. She _hated_ feeling like this. A deep insecurity bubbled up in her stomach and she felt like vomiting. _It didn’t mean anything,_ she reminded herself, _they didn’t mean anything by it._ But her nausea didn’t subside.

In her nineteen years of living, she expected herself to be able to handle these situations a little bit better.

She was out with in the town with Jaron, enjoying the summer morning. Jaron had invited one of his friends, Lavan, from the crown guard and although Sara had seen Lavan’s face around the castle many times, this was the first time they were actually meeting. After his awkward insistence on a formal introduction (“You’re the _princess,”_ he said firmly after bowing), things went smoothly. He seemed nice enough, easy to tease and mess with, and he and Jaron excitedly shared some strange and funny stories from their time serving in the crown guard. Sara was content with listening.

“I’ve always had a bad knee, though,” Lavan had said, kicking his left leg out. “So, Jaron always bests me in a spar.”

Jaron scoffed, “That’s just an excuse. I find it no coincidence that your knee _only_ seems to bother you when we fight.”

Lavan shoved him, “Whatever. I’m _telling_ you, it’s bad genetics. My mom’s got a bad knee too! Besides, if I remember correctly, you complain an awful lot about your ‘ _bad shoulder’_ when we’re practicing archery.”

Sara grinned. Lavan was right, Jaron complained often about his bad shoulder whenever he was using a bow. As an archer herself, Sara’s always teased him for his bad aim and impatience. In her opinion, she’d blame his uneven breathing over his alleged “bad shoulder.”

Before Jaron could get too defensive, Sara saw Lavan lean over to address her as they walked. “What about you?” he asked, looking her over, “Any bad shoulders or knees?” 

Sara shrugged, “Not particularly. Then again, I try not to make a habit of blaming my lack of skill on a feigned injury.” She heard Jaron laugh beside her and she smiled playfully at the both of them.

But Lavan was looking at her skeptically. “Really? Nothing out of sort for you?” he asked, “That’s surprising.”

He had said it in such an honest way that Sara was taken aback. As if it was stranger to be normal than have some structural flaw. Then again, it is more often than not that people develop some physical condition in life, be it a bad knee, a bad shoulder, or poor vision. Perhaps he was surprised she hadn’t. But she had a feeling that’s not what he meant by it.

“Why is it surprising?” she asks, feeling her neck prickle. _Careful,_ she hears her father’s voice, _don’t give people a reason to get defensive._

Lavan shakes his head innocently. “I dunno. I guess I just expected that since your mom’s an elf and your dad’s a human, there’d be some kind of defect,” he said simply.

And judging by his tone, _he didn’t mean anything by it_. He spoke similarly to the children she passed in Xadia who wondered where her horns were or why her ears were shorter than normal. Similarly, to the children she passed in Katolis who asked why she had markings on her cheeks or why her ears were _longer_ than normal. It was just uninformed ignorance. It’s not like there’s a lot of people like her out there and the entire world is generally wary of the idea of _halflings_.

So, while she lashed out at Lavan, it was not him she was truly angry at. It was something much bigger.

“ _Defect?”_ she repeated sourly, “Does it _look_ like I’m defective?”

Jaron stepped between them, glancing at her with understanding before turning to a now guilty looking Lavan.

“Uncool, man,” he said simply.

Lavan looked up at Jaron, “Sorry, I didn’t mean—” he stopped and looked back at Sara and she saw his eyes brim with worry. “I’m sorry, I just meant—not _defect_ just—” he stopped again, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. “…Sorry.”

Sara waved her hand and tried to not let too much of her hurt show. She excused herself after that, spitting out some excuse about being late to something. She jogged to the corner of the cobblestone street they were down before turning and running as fast as she could towards the woods.

And now she laid on the ground, her heart beating rapidly in her chest, with wet cheeks.

She knew Lavan hadn’t meant to offend her but knowing that some people had a seeded and deeply rooted belief that she was defective _hurt_. She wasn’t angry at Lavan for believing such things, she was angry it was something worth believing in the first place. Angry that there had been so much war before she was born that caused this. Angry that because she wasn’t fully human or elf or _something,_ people thought she wasn’t _anything._

She wiped her cheeks and took a deep breath, staying sprawled on the forest floor as she looked up to the canopy above her.

She was _something_ , wasn’t she?

She didn’t know how long she stayed there laying on the ground. Time felt unimportant to her now. Eventually, she heard light footsteps running through the forest and she didn’t have to look up to know who it was.

“Hey Mom,” she said, unmoving.

She heard the crunching of leaves before seeing her mother sit down beside her out of the corner of her eye. “Did ya _run_ all this way?” her mother asked, surprised.

Sara laughed cynically, “Yeah, and now my legs feel like they’re on fire.”

She felt her mother’s hand run through the sweaty hair that was stuck to her forehead, “I’d say I’m impressed if I weren’t so worried.

Finally, Sara turned to meet her mother’s violet eyes. A few stray strands of white of hair hung in front of her face, partially covering the purple markings that ran down her cheek bones. Normally, her mother was good at keeping an even face, neutral was her natural expression, so to see her brow crinkled in worry matched with an intense stare caught Sara off guard.

She did her best to smile, “There’s really no need to worry, Mom. I’m just being overdramatic,” she said.

She watched her mother frown, “No yer not. Yer never overdramatic about these things,” she said. “What’s eatin’ at you?”

She had processed a lot with her mother throughout her life. They had countless conversations about the judgments on elves by humans and vice versa. The world may be at peace, but it’s still healing. However, this wasn’t about that. Well, it _was_ but it also _wasn’t_ because while her mother experiences discrimination as an elf here in the human kingdoms, at least her mother was _fully_ an elf. In Xadia, she was perfectly normal and accepted as such. But this was different because Sara _wasn’t_ fully an elf. She wasn’t fully _anything._

“You wouldn’t get it,” Sara sighed, turning away from her mother.

She could feel her mother watching her closely. “Try me,” she said, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

“It’s just…” Sara sighed as she moved to sit up. She picked up a leaf from the ground and played with it in her hand. She shrugged, feeling like a rock was lodging its way into her throat. “People think I should have some kind of- of _defect_ since I’m half human and half elf. I know that’s not true, but it’s just… they keep thinking something’s _missing_ from me, you know? Or that there _should be_ something missing. And I guess I keep thinking that, because I’m not fully _something,_ it makes me _nothing_ and I—” she stops speaking, choking on a sob.

She feels her mother’s strong arms wrap around her tightly, pulling her close. “That’s not true,” she says firmly. “It breaks my heart knowin’ people think those things, but it’s not true,” she says. “Don’t believe the same lies they do.”

Sara sucks in a breath, reaching up to wipe her cheek again. “But it _is_ true, Mom. I’m _not_ fully anything.”

Her mother loosens her grip on her before Sara feels herself being gently pushed back. She looks up to see her mother looking sternly down at her. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought she were in trouble.

“You _are_ something _,_ Sara,” her mother said, holding her gaze. “Yer fully _you_ an’ there’s nothin’ wrong with that.”

As much as she wanted to believe that, Sara didn’t. She looked away from her mother and their conversation was lulled into silence. It felt like she didn’t fit anywhere. No matter what, she was always _half_ in and _half_ out.

“You know, yer grandfather said somethin’ to me once. It was a few days after he an’ yer grandma first met you,” she heard her mother speak and she looked curiously at her mother.

“Grandpa Lain?” she asked.

Her mother nodded, “He said that _you_ are what let him accept the new world after the war. For a while, he had trouble believin’ that humans and elves could live peacefully together,” she explained. “But he said that you were a perfect example of what this new world is,” she said, reaching out and tucking Sara’s hair behind her ear. There was an urgency to her mother’s voice that wasn’t there before. “Don’t you see, Sara? Yer nowhere _close_ to being nothin’,” her mother whispered with eyes that shone with unshed tears. “Yer _everythin’._ ”

Sara smiled a watery smile and let her head fall into her mother’s chest. They stayed like that, in a peaceful silence, until Sara felt herself breathing evenly again. “You know, you’ve got a way with words,” she said quietly.

She felt laughter rumble in her mother’s chest, “Be sure to tell that to your father,” her mother said.

Sara let the leaf she was holding fall from her fingers and she reached to grab her mother’s hand. “Thank you,” she said earnestly. “For talking to me _and_ for finding me.”

Her mother sighed and kissed the top of her head, “Well, you have Jaron to thank for the findin’ part. He told me what happened and that you had run off.”

Sara felt herself frown, “He didn’t need to do that.”

While Sara wasn’t looking at her mother, she _knew_ she was rolling her eyes. With an exasperated sigh, her mother spoke, “Right… All I’m sayin’ is that if yer thankin’ me, you should probably thank him too.”

Sara sat up and looked at her mother in disbelief, “And give him a bigger head than he already has?” she asked, and her mother laughed.

“Up to you,” she said, standing up and offering her other hand. “Now let’s head back, I’m sure yer father’s worried.”

Sara reached up and took her mother’s hand, pulling herself up. “But it’s so nice out here… Tell him I died in a terrible jelly-tart incident,” she giggled, “That a stray jelly-tart-cart ran me clean over.” She shook her head in mock disappointment, “Uncle Ez just _had_ to have them all over town.”

Her mother snickered, “A death by a jelly-tart-cart? Somehow I don’t think yer father would find it as funny.”

Sara sighed, releasing her mother’s hand, “I suppose your right,” she said, innocently stretching her arms above her head.

Her mother looked curiously at her, “What’re you doin’?” she asked.

Sara shrugged, “Oh nothin’ just… beating you to the castle!” she said quickly before turning around and racing back towards town.

She felt the wind rush past her again, but this time her feet felt lighter and her chest felt open. She laughed into the wind when she heard her mother yell something she couldn’t quite make out.

She still had trouble believing her mother’s words. In her heart, she knew she’d still listen to those little voices. But her conversation with her mother had given her a sort of confidence that she hadn’t experienced before. Maybe her mother _was_ right. Instead of not being either, perhaps she was both.

A product of a different world.

**FIN.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and finishing this story out! I hope you all enjoyed it. 
> 
> Fun fact! Jaron is Soren's son (if you couldn't guess).
> 
> I had written and rewritten this a few different times. Some versions had more details about Runaan and Ethari, others had more Rayla and Callum moments. At the end of the day, I felt I was repeating myself or explaining things that didn't hold an incredible amount of weight to this specific story.  
> But! I may be releasing a one-shot of how and when Runaan was killed. I really enjoyed what I had planned, but simply couldn't fit it cleanly into this story. 
> 
> Thank you all once more for reading A Different World! Don't forget to check out my Tumblr ;) (@LovelySheree)

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you thought and leave a review! I appreciate them greatly. :)


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